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Background: Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is a serious condition that affects elderly individuals. Our previous study revealed that Yigu decoction (YGD) effectively improved bone mineral density (BMD) in elderly individuals, but the mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationships among YGD, microRNAs (miRNAs), and bone metabolism by assessing the effects of YGD on the miRNA levels in patient plasma to provide a scientific basis for treating PMOP with YGD. Methods: In this clinical trial, 60 patients were randomly assigned to the YGD group or the control group (ratio of 1:1) and treated for 3 months. The primary outcome measure was BMD, and the secondary outcome measures included plasma miRNA levels, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels, anti-tartrate acid phosphatase (TRACP-5b) levels and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores. We assessed the regulatory roles of miRNAs in PMOP patients by analysing publicly available data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Bioinformatics methods were also used to explore the mechanism by which YGD regulates miRNAs that are involved in bone metabolism. Results: Compared with those before treatment, the BMD, ALP levels, TRACP-5b levels, TCM syndrome scores and VAS scores improved in both groups after 3 months of treatment (P < 0.05). A total of 82 miRNAs differed between the groups. After analysing data from the GEO database, we confirmed that miR-133a-3p is the key molecule that mediates the effects of YGD intervention on PMOP. GO analysis of key genes suggested that gene enrichment was more pronounced in response to hormones, cellular response to growth factor stimulation, and positive regulation of physiological and metabolic processes. KEGG analysis revealed that these genes were enriched mainly in the PI3K-Akt, FOXO, and JAK-STAT pathways and other pathways. The results of the protein‒protein interaction (PPI) network analysis revealed that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) and others were core proteins. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that YGD is beneficial in the treatment of PMOP, ameliorating clinical symptoms and bone turnover indices. Moreover, the inhibition of miR-133a-3p expression may be the key mechanisms by which YGD regulates bone metabolism in the treatment of PMOP, although YGD regulates bone metabolism in a multitarget and multipathway manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for maintaining human health, with significant antioxidant and immunoregulatory functions. Inadequate Se intake may be associated with Keshan disease, Kashin–Beck disease, and hypothyroidism. However, effective indicators for scientifically guiding Se supplementation in Se-deficient populations are still lacking. Objectives: This study aims to explore the dynamic distribution of Se across various nutritional biomarkers and major organs in rats through a Se supplementation experiment, as well as the pairwise correlations between them, in order to identify reliable nutritional indicators for evaluating Se levels in the body. Methods: Se levels in hair, blood, and major tissues and organs were determined by atomic fluorescence spectrometry, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels were measured using an ELISA. Results: Se supplementation significantly increased Se levels in rat blood, hair, and major organs, as well as GSH-Px levels in blood. Se primarily accumulated in the liver and kidneys, followed by myocardium, spleen, and muscles. Serum and plasma Se were found to be the best indicators of short-term Se intake, while erythrocyte Se levels showed a stronger correlation with Se levels in tissues and organs, making it a better marker for assessing long-term Se nutritional status compared to hair Se. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the potential of erythrocyte Se levels as an indicator for evaluating long-term Se nutritional status, providing scientific evidence for Se nutritional assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element known for its significant role in maintaining human health and mitigating disease progression. Selenium and its compounds exhibit high selective cytotoxicity against tumor cells. However, their anti-cervical cancer (CC) effects and underlying mechanisms have not been fully explored. This study found that sodium selenite (SS) inhibits the viability of HeLa and SiHa cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Intraperitoneal injection of 3 and 6 mg/kg SS for 14 days in female nude mice significantly inhibited the growth of HeLa cell xenografts without evident hepatotoxicity or nephrotoxicity. RNA sequencing results indicated that the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), Forkhead box protein O (FOXO), and apoptosis signaling pathways are key regulatory pathways in SS's anti-CC effects, and SS's inhibition of HeLa cell proliferation may be related to autophagy and ROS-induced apoptosis. Further research has revealed that SS induces cell autophagy and apoptosis through the AMPK/mTOR/FOXO3a pathway, characterized by the upregulation of p-AMPK/AMPK, FOXO3a, LC3-II, cleaved-caspase3, and cleaved-PARP and the downregulation of p-mTOR/mTOR and p62. Additionally, SS impaired mitochondrial function, including decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial Ca2+ overload, and accumulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS). Pretreatment with Mitoquinone mesylate (Mito Q) and compound C partially reversed SS-induced apoptosis, autophagy, and proliferation inhibition. Pretreatment with 3-methyladenine (3-MA) enhances SS-induced apoptosis and proliferation inhibition in HeLa cells but reverses these effects in SiHa cells. In summary, SS induces apoptosis, autophagy, and proliferation inhibition in HeLa and SiHa cells through the activation of the AMPK/mTOR/FOXO3a signaling pathway via mtROS. Autophagy activation may be a major risk factor for SS-induced apoptosis in SiHa cells but can protect HeLa cells from SS-induced apoptosis. These findings provide new evidence for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying SS in potential new drug development for CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In liver diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), single-shot echo-planar imaging (SS-EPI) sequences are susceptible to motion artifacts, resulting in image blurring and decreased lesion detection rates. This study aimed to develop and optimize a motion-corrected (MOCO) technique for liver DWI at 3 Tesla (3T). The technique incorporates motion correction, complex averaging, and a combination of a reparametrized sinc fatsat pulse with an optimized water excitation pulse., Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study performed at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital included 42 healthy volunteers who underwent four SS-EPI DWI sequences on a 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system between January 2023 and March 2023. The sequences included a navigator-triggered (NT) MOCO-DWI, two free-breathing (FB) MOCO-DWI, and an FB conventional DWI (FB cDWI) sequence. Motion correction and complex averaging were performed for both MOCO-DWI sequences, and fat suppression was achieved using either a sinc fatsat pulse with optimized water excitation or a conventional spectral attenuated inversion recovery (SPAIR) pulse. Liver signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was measured at b=1,000 s/mm 2 . Qualitative parameters were independently evaluated by three radiologists using 5-point Likert scales. Quantitative parameters were assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and variance homogeneity was assessed using Levene's test. Regarding the qualitative analysis, the Friedman test was used to compare subjective scores among the four techniques., Results: The SNRs of the liver were significantly higher with FB MOCO-DWI compared to the other EPI DWI sequences at b=1,000 s/mm 2 (P<0.05). In the superior-inferior direction, the SNRs of the inferior level of the liver were higher than those of the superior level in NT MOCO-DWI. The qualitative results showed significantly higher ratings for NT MOCO-DWI and FB MOCO-DWI compared to the other EPI DWI sequences at b=1,000 s/mm 2 (P<0.05). Regarding the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) quantification, the ADC values of the left lobe were higher than those of the right lobe in all four techniques., Conclusions: The proposed EPI DWI technique, incorporating motion correction, complex averaging, and a modified fat suppression scheme using spectral fat saturation and binomial water excitation, was found to be clinically feasible for liver MRI. The FB MOCO-DWI sequence, with its superior SNR and excellent image quality, is recommended for liver DW imaging at 3T in clinical routine., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://qims.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/qims-24-340/coif). C.F. is an employee of Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd. G.L. is an employee of Siemens Healthineers Ltd. T.B. is an employee of Siemens Healthineers AG. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery. All rights reserved.)